TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s stock market wrapped up the Year of the Snake 2025 with a record gain of 10,080.3 points, nearly doubling the 5,429.34-point rise seen during the Year of the Dragon.
The Taiwan Capitalization Weighted Stock Index, or TAIEX, ended Wednesday’s session at a historic 33,605.71 points, up 532.74 points from the previous day. The closing level represents a 42.8% increase from the Year of the Dragon’s closing figure of 23,525.41, according to CNA and CTEE.
Total market capitalization of listed companies reached a record NT$109.5 trillion. The market will now observe an 11-day Lunar New Year break, according to the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
TSMC led gains after hitting an intraday high of NT$1,925 before closing up 1.86% at NT$1,915, its highest finish on record. Over the Year of the Snake, the chipmaker rose NT$780, or 68.7%, boosting its market capitalization by more than NT$20 trillion to NT$49.66 trillion and contributing about 6,262 points to the TAIEX, according to CNA.
Foxconn rose 2.49% to NT$226.5, and MediaTek added 0.54% to NT$1,855. Delta Electronics gained 6.33% to NT$1,260 after stating that a potential data leak at an overseas subsidiary was unlikely to significantly affect operations.
Memory chip stocks also advanced after Winbond Electronics President Chen Pei-ming (陳沛銘) said dynamic random-access memory supply remains tight, with shortages “so severe that it is unclear how it can be resolved.” He estimated memory prices could rise 90% to 95% this quarter, with similar increases next quarter potentially pushing mid-year prices to nearly four times end-2025 levels, according to Ettoday Finance.
Winbond added 1.93%, while Macronix International hit its daily limit-up. Nanya Technology and Phison Electronics also posted gains.
Hon Precision, the third-highest-priced stock on the TAIEX, closed up 8.62% at NT$4,345. The company was recently added to the Morgan Stanley Capital International index.
Taiwan Stock Exchange Chair Lin Hsiu-ming (林修銘) urged a balanced view of the record close, saying the capital market supports Taiwan’s industrial competitiveness and international standing. While he suggested the TAIEX could potentially reach 40,000 points, he cautioned investors to remain prudent, noting the market’s reliance on the semiconductor and artificial intelligence sectors, according to CNA.
Ahead of the Year of the Horse market opening, Taishin Securities Investment Advisory Vice President Huang Wen-ching (黃文清) said Taiwan’s holiday break will overlap with eight US trading sessions, raising the risk of short-term volatility. He cited US economic data, Federal Reserve rate decisions, corporate earnings, AI supply chain developments, geopolitical talks, and US-Taiwan tariff negotiations as key variables.
Huang added that historical trends point to a generally positive post-holiday market, though fluctuations are likely. The TAIEX has risen in 14 of the 20 Lunar New Year opening sessions from 2006 to 2025, reflecting a 70% probability of a positive opening, according to CNA.
This information is not intended as personalized financial advice. Investors are encouraged to conduct their own research and analysis before making investment decisions.
